Over fifty senior officers of the Nigerian Army have attended this year’s Nigerian Army Leadership Development Seminar Organised in Conjunction with Nigerian Institute of Management Chartered.

This brings the total number of participants that have passed through the seminar to over four thousand five hundred officers.

Declaring the seminar open in Lagos, the Chief of Training Nigerian Army, Major General Valentine Okoro stated that the Nigerian Army has taken steps to enhance its senior Personnel capacity to confront the various emerging security challenges through strategic thinking to adapt to the rapidly changing operational realities.

Okoro who spoke through the General officer Commanding 81division Major General Adebayo Babalola said the Nigerian Army operates within a dynamic security environment characterised by insurgency, terrorism, militancy and other forms of asymmetric threats hence the need to constantly strategise ways of overcoming the challenges.

General Okoro emphasised that the Seminar is designed to expose participants to modern leadership concepts, contemporary management practices and strategic thinking necessary for effective command and decision-making.

Okoro said Nigeria’s current security environment requires leaders who are courageous, professionally competent and capable of adapting to rapidly evolving challenges.

He noted that the Army operates in an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment, making it essential for commanders to develop innovative approaches and maintain strong ethical standards in leadership.

According to him, participants were exposed to key concepts of adaptive leadership and their relevance within a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous operational environment.

The seminar featured sessions on strategic thinking and decision-making under pressure, building resilient teams within the military, leveraging technology for innovation, and promoting ethics and accountability in military governance.

Okoro expressed satisfaction with the inclusion of simulation exercises and interactive study group discussions, describing them as critical tools for developing agile and responsive military leaders.

He observed that during the seminar, participants were exposed to critical concepts of adaptive leadership and its relevance within a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous environment. Major areas covered during the seminar included strategic thinking and decision-making under pressure, building resilient teams within the Nigerian military, leveraging technology for innovation and change leadership, as well as ethics, accountability and adaptive governance in the military.

Major General Okoro expressed satisfaction with the introduction of simulation exercises and interactive study group discussions, noting that such practical engagements are essential in building a more agile, responsive and effective NA.

He added that the knowledge and insights gained from the seminar would enhance participants’ decision-making capacity and operational efficiency in the field.

He reminded the officers that, as senior leaders within the NA, they occupy a critical tier of leadership and are entrusted with the responsibility of effectively managing and deploying personnel and resources under their command, therefore urging them to embrace adaptive leadership principles in their daily engagements and become catalysts for positive change within their units and formations.

He also commended the NIM (Chartered) for its professionalism and sustained partnership with the NA in promoting leadership development.

He further praised the Acting Commandant, officers and soldiers of the NASFA for their commitment in ensuring the successful conduct of the seminar.

In an address of welcome the Commandant Nigeria Army School of Finance, co-host of the seminar, Brigadier General John Bulus stressed that the primary objective of the seminar which is the twenty fourth edition is to enhance the operational effectiveness, of senior officers to address contemporary security challenges through improved leadership, ethical and critical thinking skills in a joint environment.

On her part the Registrar, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Taiwo Olusesi, emphasised that the hosting of the seminar by both organisation demonstrated a cordial relations in building the capacity of officers to maintain the culture of professionalism amongst officers of the Nigerian Army.

Olusesi said this is a demonstration of continued commitment to capacity building with a view to maintaining the culture of management professionalism amongst officers of the Nigerian Army.

According to her, it is instructive to note that the Institute has a very cordially and robust relationship with the Nigerian Armed forces and intend to uphold this relationship by ensuring robustness in their delivery at all times.

In her words, undoubtedly, the programme has become one of the means of keeping the beneficiaries abreast of best international professional management practices and military management which impacts positively on the professional life of Officers especially in the way they tackle and manage their daily professional and personal challenges.

She congratulated all the participants for the privilege of being part of this year’s programme and seize the opportunity to encourage those who are not yet members of the Institute to complete the process of joining the membership of the Institute using this window of opportunity.

According to her, Membership of the Institute provides you an opportunity to develop and continuously update professional management skills and knowledge needed to function efficiently and effectively on your duty in line with best international best practices, enjoining them to avail themselves of the opportunity and many other privileges of membership.

Earlier, the Course Leader, Anthony Ogbu, said the seminar was designed to combine theoretical knowledge with practical leadership applications relevant to modern military operations.

Ogbu explained that lectures, case studies, group discussions and simulation exercises enabled participants to analyse realistic operational scenarios and strengthen their leadership competencies.

He added that the programme also served as a platform for professional reflection and knowledge sharing among senior officers of the Nigerian Army.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to participants in recognition of their successful completion of the seminar.

The theme for this year’s edition is “Adaptive Leadership in a Volatile Security Environment – Leading Effectively in the Era of Uncertainty and Rapid Change.